The Ruritanian Isle
by Girl Called Mozart
Summary: [Chapter 4 up!] Captain Hook thinks up a plot to finally do away with Peter Pan, and it involves a girl who just doesn't fit in with pirates or Lost Boys. But perhaps, in the end, she has more to do with Never Land than she or anyone else ever believed.
1. Modern Girl

~*~ The Ruritanian Isle ~*~  
  
  
  
- Chapter 1: Modern Girl -  
  
  
  
Kelly glared over at her florescent digital clock and sighed miserably. The thick covers were sweltering and she didn't dare move to turn on the fan. So, she stayed exactly where she was and shut her eyes tight. "There's nothing in my room," she whispered softly. "I just have to keep telling myself that. There's nothing in my room. There's nothing in my room."  
  
Around three o'clock in the morning, the girl dozed off at last, but it was only a light sleep. Two hours later, she was awake again and managed to muster up the courage to pull down one of the sheets.  
  
The next time she wanted desperately to see the latest horror movie, her hand had to remember to hit her face numerous times. Note to self.  
  
A sudden thud by the foot of the bed caused Kelly to throw the blankets over her head in alarm. Blood pounded ferociously in her temples and in her ears, and she feared that perhaps everyone in the entire world could hear it. Minutes crept by, and at last, Kelly removed the sheets. It was probably safe, but…  
  
"Is anyone there?" she asked cautiously, feeling stupid for even thinking such a thing. When no one answered, a strange, tingly feeling settled deep in her stomach. She could almost…feel…that someone was there. Kelly's leg dangled from the edge of the bed, testing the water. Finally, all of her was standing on the floor. She slunk silently across the carpet and rounded the post at the foot of the bed.  
  
"Don't hurt me!" cried the person curled up there.  
  
"Oh my god!" Kelly gasped, stumbling over dirty clothes and falling on her back. A little man in the fetal position was looking up at her with a panicked expression. "How did you get in here?"  
  
"The window," he said, pointing. Indeed, it was open. But how did she not hear when it became so? Kelly bit her lip and crossed the room to close it. "No, don't!" he yelped. "If you do, I'll never be able to get back!" Of course, she didn't know what he was talking about, so she left the window open.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm supposed to take you to Never Land by way of Captain's ship, and he's waiting for us, but I knew this was going to be a bad idea, so—"  
  
"Your name," Kelly pleaded, shaking her head in confusion. "What's your name?"  
  
"Um, Smee," he replied, crawling to his feet and brushing himself off. Smee was a short, portly man with fluffy white sideburns, eyeglasses, and a rust-colored cap.  
  
"Looks like you got kicked out of Snow White, didn't you?" Kelly said sarcastically, not at all realizing that the joke went right over Smee's head. She grinned foolishly. "I'm only playing, Mr. Smee. But what's all this about a ship, anyway?"  
  
Smee straightened his half-moon spectacles and blinked. Kelly, suddenly feeling very self-conscious, smoothed out her pajama shirt and pants and ran a nervous hand through her hair. "Well," Smee began simply enough. "Captain's been talking for a while about bringing someone to Never Land; a young someone, you see. Someone he might be able to use against Peter Pan. We've been sailing the skies for a few days, and we stopped right outside your window. You seem to be exactly who Captain's looking for, because he asked me to take the rowboat up to your window and all."  
  
Kelly's head spun for a second or two; just long enough to disorient her properly. She rubbed at her forehead. "I'm not quite understanding what you're saying," she muttered. Smee took her hand and pushed the window all the way open. There, floating mere feet from the house, was a little boat with oars. Smee directed her towards it, and Kelly instinctively leapt aboard.  
  
None of this was making any sense, but she hardly paid any attention to that. She didn't know who Captain was, or who Peter Pan was, or what Never Land was. Before she could open her mouth, Smee was rowing the tiny boat through the sky and up towards a mighty-looking pirate ship nestled among the moonlit clouds.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
"Now, let me clean you up a bit here," Smee was murmuring as he pulled a brush through Kelly's chocolate-colored hair. She let him, mostly because she was too preoccupied chewing her fingers. "You have to be presentable to Captain, after all."  
  
"Who is this Captain, Mr. Smee?" she inquired.  
  
"Captain James Hook," Smee said rather matter-of-factly. "The fair captain of this ship, the Jolly Roger."  
  
Kelly's eyebrows rose in a silent "oh" and she returned to her jagged nails. There was something about Smee that was extremely calming, as if she had known him prior to this meeting, and they didn't say another world to each other until the door flew open with a thunderous crack. Smee stood and gave a sharp solute.  
  
There, standing in the doorway, was the person who was undoubtedly Captain James Hook. Kelly's eyes trailed up his body. He was thin and elegant with a young waist. His black hair fell trimly around his shoulders. A prominent nose almost hid two shining blue eyes and the mouth was drawn up into a grin. Kelly threw a hand up to cover her collarbone as she saw that he was staring straight at her. How unbecoming she must've looked!  
  
"Well done, Mr. Smee," the man said, contented. "Who is this charming young lady?"  
  
"Kelly McClure, Captain," Smee introduced, looking a bit perturbed. "I thought you wanted me to present her to you in your private quarters." Kelly, having a naturally warped highschool state of mind, flushed deeply at Smee's words, even though he didn't mean them in that way. Captain Hook shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
"I changed my mind, Mr. Smee. Is that a crime?" he hissed gently. Kelly decided right then and there that the captain of the Jolly Roger made her feel extremely uncomfortable.  
  
"Well, no, Captain," stuttered Smee. "But the girl's not decent at the moment…"  
  
"She appears fine to me," Captain Hook said, approaching her. Kelly tried not to sink back against Smee as the man inspected her with keen eyes. "Come, girl. Follow me." He gripped her wrist and forced her to stand. Kelly lurched forward and managed to straighten herself before he could get the chance to. She didn't want that man touching her any more than he must.  
  
As Captain Hook dragged her towards the door, Kelly glanced longingly back at the soothing security that she saw in Smee. Again, she couldn't help but feel that she had met him somewhere before, a long time ago.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
The two of them crossed the deck of the ship. Kelly had to step twice for just one of Captain Hook's long strides. He had very nimble legs, and she wondered if perhaps he danced. The thought seemed absolutely absurd at the moment, and Kelly rolled her eyes for thinking it.  
  
"So what are you going to use me for?" she asked hesitantly as they reached his quarters. Captain Hook pushed the door open and led her inside.  
  
"You're a tool," he replied easily, throwing open the large closet after he let go of her. Kelly massaged the skin and grimaced.  
  
"A tool," she repeated sourly. "I like how Mr. Smee said it better."  
  
Captain Hook was rummaging through some drawers, but caught what she had said. "I thought you might," he muttered. "Since I told him what to say." Kelly glared daggers at his back and started to bite her fingernails again. Then she realized she was hungry.  
  
There was a rather ornate clock mounted above the four-poster bed. Her eyes did a double take. It couldn't have been seven in the evening already…right?  
  
"I think your clock is wrong," Kelly informed him. Captain Hook examined it and raised a thick, dark eyebrow in response.  
  
"My clock is never wrong," he said.  
  
"But when I left with Mr. Smee it was about five in the morning," she argued.  
  
"Yes, it was. But time never behaves as it should in Never Land, my dear," he stated, tossing a wad of fabric at her. Kelly caught it with her face and shook it out. "It's a dress; used to belong to someone I knew."  
  
Kelly crinkled her nose at the fact that it was a dress. She just about never wore dresses, except on fancy occasions like Christmas dinner and Easter breakfast, and that was only because her mother wished her to. If no one ever required her to wear a dress ever again, she'd be fit in pants for the remainder of her life.  
  
"That someone isn't dead, are they?" Kelly inquired suspiciously. Captain Hook was still for a moment, and then shook his head.  
  
"No, I'm pretty sure that someone is still alive, more or less."  
  
Kelly didn't much like that answer, but she neglected to say anything else. An awkward pause passed between them and ultimately ended with Captain Hook saying, "Well, aren't you going to put it on?"  
  
"Not with you in the room, I'm not," Kelly barked. Blood warmed her cheeks once more and she waited for the man to exit. Once he was gone, she stripped down and pushed her neck through the dress. The soft cotton was plain lavender and awfully pretty. There weren't any useless frills, nor were there any bows, which was a relief.  
  
She tentatively let Captain Hook back into the chambers and did a little twirl. He looked her over and nodded briskly. "I see you two were the same size," he said under his breath. "How odd."  
  
Kelly eyed him funny. "Why is that odd?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing. Forget it."  
  
Captain Hook folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side. "Yes, I do believe that dress fits you quite well. In any case, it was better than what you originally had on," he huffed. Kelly stamped her foot indignantly.  
  
"Hey, I bought those pajamas with my own hard-earned money," she complained. Captain Hook merely chuckled, which made her even more furious. Oh yes, she didn't like him in the least.  
  
"Anyway, I might as well tell you why you're here before you explode or some such thing," he commented, smirking at her gleaming eyes. Kelly calmed down quite considerably, but she continued to frown with disdain as he spoke. "Mr. Smee probably explained that we need a young person to aid us in doing away with Peter Pan. And the reason is thus: you will have to earn his trust, which should be effortless, and then, at the last moment, betray him to us and then leave the rest to my men and me. Take my word for it, dearest, your efforts will not be in vain."  
  
Kelly raised her hand. "Question."  
  
"Speak."  
  
"Who's Peter Pan? Is he some sort of half beast half man creature?"  
  
Captain Hook's expression grew darker and Kelly feared that his eyes would disappear into the shadows. "Only a beast would sever another human being's hand without cause," he said passionately. It was then, for the first time, that Kelly became aware of the reason he was called Captain Hook. There, where his left hand should have been, was a lustrous metal hook that dared anyone to look upon it twice.  
  
"Oh," was all she could say. Words were entirely lost on her, and as she searched for them, the captain went to leave the quarters.  
  
"I relinquish my room for tonight," he told her, taking hold of the doorknob. "No more dreadful thoughts, agreed?" And then he was gone. Kelly put a hand to her lips and sank onto his bed, which was by far the most comfortable thing she had ever sat on in her life.  
  
"How did he know I wasn't sleeping well?" she mused aloud. As soon she closed her mouth, her stomach started to protest its recent lack of food. She had hardly eaten enough dinner at home as it was. Pasta was never her favorite, and her mother loved to cook it as often as humanly possible.  
  
Kelly stood up and cracked her back and neck and fingers and every other joint she could think of. She figured she might as well try and get a bite to eat on the ship, so she, too, left the captain's quarters and headed below deck. As she descended the steps, Smee was ascending them with a tray in his hands.  
  
"Oh, Miss McClure!" he cried in surprise. "I was just bringing this up to you." Kelly backed up and allowed the man to get up on the deck.  
  
"Thank you so much," she said, smiling wide and taking the tray from him. "You read my mind."  
  
"Has Captain spoken with you yet?" Smee inquired, pushing up his glasses. "About the plan, I mean. Nice dress by the way."  
  
"The captain let me borrow it," Kelly beamed. "And yes, he told me all about what he wants to use me for."  
  
Smee for quiet for a moment, and then he snapped his fingers. "Now I remember where I've seen that dress before!" he exclaimed in revelation. "There's a picture in the captain's study of a young woman wearing that same dress. It's his youngest sister, I believe."  
  
Kelly almost dropped the tray right then and there.  
  
"But, oh! Your meal will get cold out here," Smee said. "Best take it back inside and eat it quickly." She turned mechanically and marched back into the captain's chambers, said goodnight to Smee, and then closed the door behind her. She set the tray down on the desk with a dull thud and then took a seat on the bed once more.  
  
"His sister," she moaned, putting her face in her hands with a sigh.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
After eating, Kelly came out on deck to take a curious look around. The sailors were cleaning up the ship for the night, and their song carried crisply through the air.  
  
"Heave ho, my lads, the wind blows free  
  
A pleasant gale is on our lee  
  
And soon across the ocean clear  
  
Our gallant cap'n shall bravely steer  
  
But till we part from Freedom's shore tonight  
  
A song we'll sing from home and beauty bright."  
  
Dusk grew apparent as the sun barely hung onto the distant water. Kelly had heard once that, at dusk, all time stops and for a moment everything is exactly the way it should be. She held her breath just as the sun sunk and a sudden flood of shade poured over the deck.  
  
To her right, the dark-headed captain was leaning against the wooden railing, still fully clad in his fancy attire that made him look like an officer of the late seventieth century French Guard. To her surprise, he began to sing in a low tenor, obviously unaware that she was standing rather close to him.  
  
"At the dawn of the morning  
  
My ship will be sailing  
  
To take me far away from the place of my birth  
  
And the feeling of sorrow  
  
That has now come o'er me  
  
Seems to rob me of all I held dearest on earth  
  
Oh, these are the last hours—"  
  
He stopped for no apparent reason and continued to look out over the ocean. Kelly watched him a little more, but turned to head back to the room as the weather grew colder.  
  
"Why don't you stay out longer?" came Captain Hook's icy voice. She froze. "It's only breezy for thirty minutes at most, and then it warms again."  
  
Kelly wrapped her arms around herself and stepped towards the captain. "Mr. Smee said that this dress belonged to your youngest sister," she said, hoping to get a reply out of him. "Why let me wear it, then, Mr. Hook?"  
  
"James," he grunted.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Forget that 'Mr. Hook' business," he ordered. "You've got more maturity in you than all of the men of this ship combined, and you deserve to call me by my rightful name." Kelly flushed for what seemed to by the hundredth time that day and smiled shyly.  
  
"All right then," she said. "James."  
  
"To answer your question," he continued. "I allowed you to wear my sister's old dress simply because I wanted it out of my closet. Having it around often brought up displeasing memories whenever I would find it."  
  
Kelly finally decided to join him at the rail, but she didn't look him in the face. "You could've always burned it or thrown it in the sea or something," she suggested. James laughed dryly and patted her shoulder and he pushed away from the side of the ship.  
  
"You see, but then," he replied. "I would not have had it here for you to wear." Kelly opened her mouth to protest that his words didn't make a bit of sense, but the man was off hounding at the crew to finish and get below deck. She resolved to settle into the captain's bed and not wake up for a good long while.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Ah, but Kelly didn't have the chance to see the little man crouching, hidden, in the crow's nest. If she had, she most likely would have found him charming, for he was exactly that and would never change. The caramel orbs of his eyes fixated upon her as she retired to the quarters, but they were distracted suddenly by the vision of Captain Hook shouting at his sailors and pacing across the creaky, wooden boards.  
  
The lad's expression erupted into a mischievous grin at the sight of him, for it had been he who had removed that pirate's left hand ever-so craftily that fateful day.  
  
Peter Pan pulled his moss green cap closely to his head of auburn hair as a gust of wind threatened to seize it. He would not strike at night, for that wouldn't make for a very interesting battle. Perhaps tomorrow, when the sun was at its prime, he might gather his band of Lost Boys and they'd row their swift canoes up to the ship before the pirates knew what was happening.  
  
Of course, however, he would have to save the girl. She, in his eyes, was clearly a prisoner and needed a good rescuing. The thought of doing so excited him so much, that he had to cover his mouth to keep from crowing with glee.  
  
For now, he would return to Hangman's Tree and contemplate his eventual victory.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Coming in Chapter 2 – Peter attacks the ship, Kelly is taken away, Hook broods, and more Mr. Smee (yay!).  
  
  
  
A/N: All I had to go on for this first chapter was the Disney film, and the first few chapters of the novel. The further I read, the more I'll know, so I might come back after a while to change some things if they're wrong. Also, I found the sea songs at this great website: http://www.acronet.net/~robokopp/shanty.html 


	2. He Said Redskins

~*~ The Ruritanian Isle ~*~  
  
  
  
Chapter 2: He Said Redskins  
  
  
  
The dream happened without warning. She was soaring over the desert, but was so close to the sand that it was getting in her eyes. Large tears trailed behind her as she flew. She rounded a cactus, and zoomed over a buzzard pecking at what appeared to be a tiny city. Suddenly, she was part of the city, and an enormous tidal wave was looming dangerously overhead.  
  
People were screaming and running in all directions. Her feet ached to move, but, as is natural in most running dreams, she was unable to make them do so. The water came crashing down around her, and the sounds of the drowning citizens echoed hauntingly through the liquid.  
  
And then, out of nowhere, a monstrous creature swam past her. It circled about and gnashed its ferocious teeth. She shut her eyes tight, but was somehow able to still see the monster through her eyelids. The perspective changed once more, and now she was the beast. For some reason, she knew she was a crocodile.  
  
Swimming a few feet in front was a figure that looked an awful lot like her. She lunged for the lifeless-looking girl and snapped the body in two…  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Kelly woke to find that her back was in terrible pain. Of course, that might have been because half of her was lying on the bed, and the top portion of her was dangling close to the floor. She sat up and stretched. What a bizarre dream she had dreamt! However, the more she thought about the content of the vision, the more it seemed to slip away.  
  
She looked up at the clock on the wall. It was barely noon, and she felt rested.  
  
A knock came to the door, and Kelly staggered out of the comfortable bed to answer it. Kind little Smee was standing there with a bowl filled with steaming water and a towel. "I figured you were probably up," he said, letting himself in and placing the basin on the nightstand.  
  
"Actually, I just woke up," Kelly drawled, lazily scratching her head with a yawn.  
  
"I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked, alarmed.  
  
"No," she assured him. Smee grinned in relief and laid the towel beside the bowl and started to make the bed. "Oh, don't bother," she fussed. "I'll do it after breakfast."  
  
"Very well, then. The cook's making at least thirty dozen pancakes as we speak in your honor, so I do hope you're hungry," Smee laughed, closing the door behind him. Kelly danced lazily over to the bed and gazed into the bowl. She dipped the towel into the hot water, wrung it out, and pressed it to her weary face.  
  
The question of what to do now was lingering in the air, waiting to be asked. Kelly ran a hand through the tangled hair of her head and laid the towel in the bowl. She couldn't believe she had actually agreed to leave home. The realization hit her hard, and fast. What was she thinking, just following Smee out the window like that? Her parents must've been worried sick, and she must've been insane!  
  
Kelly fought the urge to chew her nails, and lost. Her fingers wedged between her teeth, she walked from the room and onto the deck. The water was glistening with midday sun, and a grand island stretched out in front of the ship. Kelly ran to the bow and gasped in awe.  
  
The island was compact and filled with every sort of vegetation one could think to find on such a place. A beach was the closet thing to the pirate ship, and in the distance to the left, Kelly could make out what looked like a camp of wigwams on the cliffs. Mountains trailed down the right side of the island, and all in all, the entire sight was very lovely indeed.  
  
"This is Never Land, our final destination," said a voice behind her. Kelly knew at once that it was Captain Hook; or James, actually. She needed to remember that. "It's only gorgeous for the first year or so, and then, it loses something."  
  
Kelly tugged up the neckline of her embarrassingly skimpy nightshirt and folded her arms across her chest. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to sound as if she wasn't uncomfortable. She wished she had changed into that dress, now…  
  
"Well, of course you haven't noticed it yet," he said. "You will."  
  
"I will what?"  
  
"Notice," James replied. Kelly sighed in frustration. Adults, in her opinion, never answered questions they way they ought to. She brushed her coffee-colored hair out with an anxious hand, and then frowned.  
  
"Where are the showers on his ship, anyway?" she inquired. James was confused for a moment, but then widened his eyes.  
  
"There aren't any," he stated. "But, once we sail into the cove out in front of us, there will be a freshwater stream inland a little ways. You could bathe there, if you wanted." Kelly stuck out her tongue with a moan.  
  
"But what if I get lost?" she insisted.  
  
"Ask one of the redskins for help," James said. "They're always out hunting this time of day."  
  
"What?" Kelly shrieked, in utter disbelief. "Did you just say redskins?"  
  
"Of course. You can see their camp over—"  
  
"You can't say redskins!" she cried. "How politically incorrect of you! They're Native Americans!"  
  
"They're what?"  
  
"Native Americans," Kelly repeated. "The word 'redskins' is awfully offensive. For one, their skin isn't even red; it's bronzed. And secondly—"  
  
"Captain!" cried a sailor in the crow's nest, pointing. "Canoes, Captain, coming towards us in a hurry!" James flew madly from the spot beside Kelly and waved his hook menacingly about.  
  
"Smee!" he hollered. "Smee, get all hands on deck!" After a moment, the little man came rushing from up the stairs with a dozen and a half men following behind him with swords drawn. Kelly attempted to slink back into the captain's quarters, for she had always been terrified at the thought of being killed. A pirate pulled her back by the shoulder and thrust a sword into her slender hands.  
  
"But I can't swordfight," she called out to no one in particular, as the pirate had run off in the same instant. "You've got to be kidding me…"  
  
The sailors boarded rowboats and lowered themselves into the water to take the enemy out before they reached the ship. A few, including James, stayed on board to man the cannons. Kelly frantically flipped around in circles with the sword pointed naïvely in front of her, and then, she felt a light finger tap her arm. She jumped and whirled on the person, whipping the weapon at the adversary. However, no one was there.  
  
The same tap occurred on the top of her head, and she swung upwards. Again, nothing. A sickening thought erupted: what if this enemy was invisible? If so, they could kill her three times over and she wouldn't even realize that someone had been there.  
  
"Ah, Tink, stop playing with the poor girl."  
  
Kelly wailed in alarm and jumped a one-eighty. Standing in front of her was a boy who appeared to be the same age. Although, in actuality, he was hovering mere inches above the floorboards. He was dressed from head to toe in raggedy, yet charming, green garments.  
  
See, she did find him charming!  
  
"Tink was simply having a spot of fun," the boy said defensively. "Don't try and make too much out of it. I don't believe that she hates you yet." Kelly's eyes suddenly fell upon the most magnificent thing that she had ever seen. There, flying about the boy's ears, was an honest-to-goodness fairy. Oh, she was indeed exquisite; a bright yellow glow surrounded her and the wings on her back seemed to be made of thinly sliced diamond.  
  
During the time it took Kelly to register the fairy, Captain James Hook had seen the boy out of the corner of his eye and was slinking up behind him with the hook raised.  
  
"What's your name?" Kelly asked the boy, trying hard not to peer off his left shoulder and give away James' position.  
  
"Why, Peter Pan, of course!" he exclaimed, soaring a few feet into the air. He flipped completely around to face James and pointed a serious finger at the pirate captain. "And you, my good man, are but a codfish!"  
  
Kelly heard a splash off the side of the ship and went to investigate, figuring James and Peter would be best left alone. A little boy, no older than seven, was climbing up and was having some difficulty. Kelly couldn't just leave him to fall back into the water below, so she stretched a hand out to him. He reached for her in a very childlike manner and finally grabbed hold.  
  
Once he was safe on the deck, he shoved his sword at her. "Are you the girl we have to rescue?" he asked. Kelly's eyebrows lowered. Rescued? She thought Peter Pan and his crew was the enemy…  
  
No! Could it be that she had been taken in by the antagonists? Could it be that Peter Pan, the only soul whom James Hook truly hated, was actually in the right?  
  
"Who told you to rescue me?" Kelly demanded. "Why do I need rescuing?"  
  
"Our chief, Peter, said that he saw a pretty girl on the pirate ship and that she was being held against her will," the child replied.  
  
"Slightly," cried Peter, who was currently engaged in a vicious duel. "Slightly, take the girl back to the Tree in a canoe! I'll be back without delay!" Kelly felt a tug on her pant leg.  
  
"Well," said Slightly. "You'll need to jump into the water and swim to one of our canoes. Do you think you can, if I follow after you?" Kelly, not really knowing what to say, nodded dumbly and pushed herself halfway across the railing. It was now, or never at all. The sea was such a long way down…  
  
…Push!  
  
Kelly opened her mouth to scream as she came tumbling from the ship, but received a gulp of salt water instead. The skin stung where she had hit rather forcefully, but she surfaced and gasped for breath. Another boy was trying to hoist her into a canoe, and Slightly suddenly appeared from behind to help. Kelly flailed her limbs as she plopped into the tiny boat, and the three of them sped off towards the shore.  
  
Turning around, she could see the pirates retreating to the ship, and then Peter speeding up from the deck with a boisterous crow. James rushed to the railing just in time to catch Kelly's eye as she was pulled onto the wet sand. She suddenly felt dreadfully sad.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Kelly sort of marched in a daze as the Lost Boys and Peter directed her to their home, that they were calling Hangman's Tree; or simply, the Tree. She had been doing a great deal of following over the past day and a half, now that she thought about it.  
  
Every three minutes or so, she would cast a glance over her shoulder, just to see if anyone was after them. No, there was never anyone there. She was half hoping that James would be bounding along the path with sword drawn, ready to fight in order to win her back.  
  
Her tongue slowly poked through her lips as she envisioned the scene, but it quickly darted back in as she realized how foolish she was being. Of course James wasn't going to try and get her back. He wasn't that kind of man. Yet, still, the jovial little thought mercilessly played around in her mind.  
  
Peter Pan came to a halt before a large, thick tree. The Lost Boys darted around excitedly, and, to Kelly's shock, they dove into separate hollow tree trunks and disappeared from sight. "C'mon, then," said Peter. "You shall have to be fitted for your tree."  
  
"Fitted?" Kelly asked, still quite perplexed by what she had just seen. Peter motioned to a hollow stump that had not been used by one of the boys. He picked up a roll of measuring tape that seemed to appear out of nowhere and stretched it across the hole. Next, he headed towards her waist, but Kelly pushed him away.  
  
"What?" Peter questioned, his eyebrows raised innocently. "Don't you want to be measured for a tree? You won't be able to get in without a tree." Kelly put out her arms a little with a roll of her eyes and allowed him to carry on. After that was settled, he paced a little and finally glared at her.  
  
"Is something wrong?"  
  
"Yes," said Peter, but he didn't explain. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at her breasts and leaned in to inspect them. Kelly's eyes widened and her palm collided with his face. Peter stumbled backwards.  
  
"You sick pervert," she scolded between clenched teeth. "How could you do something like that and not think I'd notice?"  
  
The boy in green placed a hand to his cheek as his eyes glistened over with tears and Kelly started to feel guilty. She never was good at being furious with someone, especially when they cried.  
  
"I was just curious as to what they were," wept Peter. "Wendy was a girl, just like you, but she didn't have those."  
  
Kelly stared down at him. "How old was Wendy?" she inquired.  
  
"She once mentioned that she was thirteen, but I'm not sure what that means," he said, calming down somewhat. Kelly smiled knowingly and took the measuring tape from him. Putting it around her chest, she found the size and indicated it with her finger.  
  
"I'll need a tree this big," she told him. Peter leapt to his feet, his tears forgotten, and shook his head.  
  
"No, no," he objected. "The tree is not made to fit you. You are made to fit the tree." Kelly, startled, threw her hands across her chest with a guttural protest. He laughed merrily. "It's only magic," he went on. "Every time you touch the tree to enter, the magic will shape you, and then when you come out the other end you will be back to normal."  
  
"I better be," Kelly warned, the color slowly returning to her face. The thought of remaining tree-shaped for the rest of her time in Never Land didn't sound all that appealing.  
  
After a demonstration by Peter, Kelly slipped into her tree with no trouble and popped out easily. She got to her feet and brushed the dirt from her nightclothes. The surroundings made her think of some sort of Hobbit's home. The ceiling was not particularly high, and the beds all were made of very natural-looking things.  
  
The Lost Boys were currently chasing one another around the place and shouting, "Bam! I killed so-and-so!" Peter was smiling, but Kelly was reminded of her early babysitting days.  
  
"Look!" cried one of the boys, as if he hadn't seen her when they were all walking through the forest. "Peter has brought us home another mother!"  
  
Within the second, all six of them were circled around her and glancing up as if they were expecting something. Kelly turned to glare at Peter, who had settled himself into a cozy armchair. "Well," he said. "You're a mother. Tell us a grand story."  
  
"What?" she howled. "That's crazy! I'm no mother!"  
  
"All girls are mothers," Peter stated. "It's a fact, you know."  
  
Two boys that were most likely twins took hold of her hands and led her over to one of the beds to sit down. Kelly rubbed the bridge of her nose with a defeated sigh. Now, more than ever, she wished that James Hook would come gliding down one of those tree stumps, lift her off of her feet, and whisk her away. It was such a lovely fantasy, and much better than the one she was currently involved in.  
  
"A story," Kelly muttered. "Let me see, here. Have you boys ever heard the tale of Aladdin and his magical lamp?"  
  
The boys, including Peter, were suddenly very interested, and they listened with hardly any interruptions. When it was over, they crawled into their boy-sized beds and fell fast asleep. Kelly grinned to herself and looked over at Peter. He, however, was sleeping in the chair. She wondered if she had ever seen any person seem so serene.  
  
Noticing that his bed was empty, she took it upon herself to fill it. At that point in time, right before she fell asleep, she remembers that she failed to ever make up James' bed like she said she would. That notion sat heavy in her heart.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
"Mr. Smee, we need to find that girl as hurriedly as possible," Hook spoke. The stout bo'sun silently agreed as he peered through the telescope mounted on the top deck of the ship. "Have you seen any of sign of her yet?"  
  
"No, Captain," came Smee's reply.  
  
"Damn it all. We may have lost her to Pan for good. I was sorely afraid of this."  
  
Hook closed his eyes and calmly counted to ten. It was no use getting angry over something that he had no possible control over at the moment. He tapped his claw against the railing and grumbled.  
  
"Forget it, Mr. Smee," he called. "It's getting too dark to see clearly. We'll go ashore in the morning to scout around." Smee moved away from the telescope with a purely dismayed expression upon his face. You see, Smee had been feeling the same way about Kelly as she had been feeling about him. The girl reeked of familiarity, and it confused and intrigued the man.  
  
"Captain, do you really think that we could ever get her back from Pan?" he asked, coming to the captain's side. Hook blinked once or twice and turned away towards his quarters.  
  
"We'll know soon enough, Mr. Smee," he answered.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Chapter Three: Peter grows on Kelly, Hook decides to take matters into his own hands, and Tinkerbell does something dreadful.  
  
  
  
A/N: Jebus, writing this stuff is so hard! I'm trying pump out about the same amount of text for each chapter, and it's really difficult. Oh well. Hopefully, the next installment will be up within the week. Review, pretty please, and check back soon. And a big THANK YOU to all of my current reviewers! 


	3. Seeing What You Want to See

~*~ The Ruritanian Isle ~*~  
  
- Chapter Three: Seeing What You Want to See -  
  
"Wake up! Please, Mother, get up!"  
  
Kelly's eyelids shot open only to see that one of the boys was standing above her. "What is it?" she asked softly as he pulled her to her feet.  
  
"Peter's waiting for you outside," he said. "He wants to show you the mermaids."  
  
"Mermaids?"  
  
She knew there were pirates and braves and little boys in Never Land, but she didn't expect there to be actual mermaids. Kelly patted the boy on the head with a grin and stood underneath of her tree hole. In the same moment, she was in the forest with the tree behind her.  
  
"Hi," greeted Peter.  
  
"Hullo," Kelly replied sleepily. "What's all this about mermaids?"  
  
"Oh good, Nibs told you. The mermaid's lagoon isn't far from here, and it's stunning in the morning. What say you?"  
  
Kelly really wanted to take a shower and have something to eat first, but figured it could wait until after the lagoon. Besides, how many chances does one have in life to see mermaids? Even though, her stomach was just about eating itself. She hadn't had anything to eat the previous day, remember.  
  
Peter took her arm in is with a gallant smile. "Come on, Mother, let us go and see the mermaids," he insisted.  
  
"I'm not your mother, Peter, and you know that," she warned.  
  
"But the boys believe it," he argued.  
  
"They're boys; you're my age. It's not right."  
  
Peter looked rather disheartened by this, but continued his pace. Kelly skipped a little to keep up with him. Everyone in Never Land walked so fast! The ground was uneven and littered with leaves and twigs of all kinds. She was relieved that she had been wearing her footsie socks to bed the night that Smee came to get her.  
  
The two of them passed by trees and bushes dotted with fairies darting to and fro. "Peter," Kelly began. "Why is it that there are so many fairies here?"  
  
"Every time a baby is born, a fairy is created," Peter explained.  
  
"I never used to believe in--"  
  
Peter shoved his hands over her mouth forcefully and tackled her to the ground. Kelly managed to pry him off.  
  
"Are you psycho or something?" she roared. Peter was equally upset and he was breathing hard.  
  
"Never say that!" he cried. "Never ever say that!"  
  
"Never say what?"  
  
"What you were just saying!"  
  
"Psycho? Why can't I say that?"  
  
Peter took a deep breath and shook his head. "No, what you said about fairies. Every time someone says that, a fairy dies." Kelly bit her lip in horror over what she almost did.  
  
"I almost murdered a fairy," she whispered. Peter helped her up and brushed off her clothes. "Is there anything else about this place that I should know about?"  
  
They were walking again, now, and she could barely make out the blue of the water ahead. "Well," said Peter. "Every time someone in Never Land breathes, a grown-up is killed." He told this with such a passion in his voice that it startled her.  
  
Kelly suddenly thought about her own mother and father and held her breath worriedly.  
  
"Of course, it's only a speculation," he continued. "But I like to think that it's true."  
  
"How dreadfully morbid," Kelly mused aloud.  
  
"Oh, look, Mother!" he hollered, racing ahead of her. "We're here!"  
  
The path through the forest led down to a lovely white-sand beach. The lagoon's water was a sparkling tropical blue and large, flat stones seemed to be floating in it. Then, Kelly saw the mermaids. They were lying on some of the rocks and flapping their fishtails lazily.  
  
Peter took this opportunity to soar into the air and fly over to them. The mermaids instantly waved and shouted happily at him. Kelly stood at the tide and watched, feeling badly left out. How could he just forget her like that?  
  
"Hey!" she called. "Peter, hey!"  
  
He flew over with a grin. "Do you want to meet them?" he asked, picking her up without consent and setting her down on one of the rocks. Kelly watched in awe as the mermaids swam up and looked at her curiously.  
  
"She's not as pretty as the last one you brought," one of them said as she flipped her blonde hair. Kelly's face fell.  
  
"And not even a proper lady," another chimed in. "Her hair is down and she's in pants."  
  
Peter was laughing from his spot in the air and this infuriated Kelly. However, she stuck out her tongue rather childishly. No egotistical half-fish was going to mortify her that easily. "Peter," she said. "I thought mermaids were supposed to be fair and beautiful. These pompous fish can't possibly be them."  
  
"Pompous?" shrieked a mermaid.  
  
"Fish?" howled another.  
  
The mermaids covered their faces and swam away in separate directions. Kelly chuckled on her rock and waved goodbye. Peter landed. "I think you upset them," he said.  
  
"Eh, they remind me of some girls at my highschool," she huffed. "I know how to deal with those kinds of people. Not as pretty as the last one, my ass." Suddenly, she felt a sharp tug on her hair and yelped in pain.  
  
A yellow glow zipped past and Kelly recognized it as Tinkerbell. "Tink says you're rude," Peter translated with a smirk.  
  
"I can say the same for her," Kelly grumbled, rubbing her head. "Do all fairies pull hair?"  
  
"Some do, but Tink excels in it."  
  
"Figures."  
  
The fairy flew about in a fuss and pinched Kelly's skin wherever she could find it. Peter, sensing trouble, popped back into the air to observe.  
  
"Ow!" cried Kelly. "You stupid fairy, come back here!" She lunged at the spot of light, but lost her balance and plunged into the briny water. At first, she was too distressed to move, but when she tried, it was as if someone was holding her down. Kelly's lungs burned and she fought desperately to surface until, finally, the pressure left and she was able to break the water.  
  
Peter was holding a damp Tinkerbell in his hands and scorning her. "Why would you do such a thing, Tink? That's awful!" he upbraided. The fairy wiggled free and spat water out at his face. During this, Kelly was clinging to the side of the rock and gasping. Her mind was a little muzzy, and she couldn't stop trembling.  
  
Tinkerbell, in a fury of bells and pixie dust, stormed off. Peter watched her leave, and then helped Kelly up.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"I just need to sit still for a while," she groaned. He allowed her to lean back on him, even though her clothes were waterlogged and salty.  
  
"You do that," Peter agreed. "And I'll make sure the mermaids don't bother you." Kelly stared at him with an odd smile.  
  
"How gentlemanly of you," she complimented. Her eyes felt heavy, and then she napped.  
  
~*~  
  
Captain Hook sat down on a tree stump and blew an errant stand of midnight hair from his face. He and two others had been out since before the sun to look for the missing girl. So far, there wasn't a single sign that happened to suggest her whereabouts. Smee took a break as well and opened his liquor-filled canteen.  
  
"I must say, Miss McClure is exceptionally elusive," he said amid gulps.  
  
"That's putting it mildly," said the other sailor accompanying them, Bill Jukes, who was currently sharpening his cutlass on a stone. "The wench is damned invisible." Smee wagged a finger at Jukes with a tut-tut.  
  
"Now, Mr. Jukes, there's no need to curse," he lectured.  
  
"Fine, Mr. Smee, damn. It's not my fault we can't find the bitch," Jukes laughed. In the same instant, Hook was on his feet with his sword pointed directly at the pirate's throat. Jukes grinned toothily and put up his hands in defense.  
  
"You're lucky I always count," Hook snarled. "Next time I'll bleed you."  
  
"Captain, perhaps we should head back to the ship," Smee suggested. "We never did get to eat breakfast and I think you're starting to get grouchy."  
  
Hook threw up his nose in a dignified sort of way and thrust the sword down the open path. "I say we press on, Mr. Smee," he said. "She may be just over this rise." Jukes grabbed the canteen from Smee and took a mouthful.  
  
"You said that at the last rise," he reminded, wiping his chin. The chimes of faraway bells reached their ears all of a sudden. A small glowing ball that was unmistakably a fairy glided towards them and made circles around Hook's head.  
  
"Look," whispered Smee. "It's Tinkerbell, Peter's pixie."  
  
Jukes drew his weapon. "Let's eat it," he growled. Tinkerbell made an alarmed sort of ring and stood on the captain's plumed hat, hiding behind the thick feather. She leaned into his ear and began to say something in the fairy language. Hook, luckily, understood most of it.  
  
"A girl? And she's with Peter?" he hissed sharply. "Which way?"  
  
The fairy shook her head with a frown and continued to speak. Hook's eyes widened in horror.  
  
"Dead?" he whispered. "She can't be dead."  
  
Smee choked on the liquor and sputtered. "What did Tinkerbell say?" he wheezed. The pirate captain removed his hat and placed it over his chest, not saying a word.  
  
"I do believe the captain's been possessed," Jukes said aside to Smee. Tinkerbell pointed out in front of them, gesticulating wildly.  
  
"Yes," Hook muttered. "Let me see her."  
  
The fairy led the three men down the forest path until finally slowing down when they reached the edge of the Mermaid Lagoon. Hook pushed ahead of Smee and Jukes and shielded his gaze from the glare of the sun. Sprawled on a rock across Peter Pan's lap, was none other than Kelly McClure. The girl's clothes and hair were soaked, and from the looks of it, she wasn't moving.  
  
"Oh no," wept Smee. "The poor thing drowned."  
  
Hook kneaded the bridge of his nose with an anguished groan. "This just can't be happening," he sighed, turning furiously away from the scene. "How could Pan neglect to watch over her?" Jukes threw up his shoulders in confusion.  
  
"Can't we just get a new girl, Captain?" he proposed. Hook whirled on the man and struck him across the face with the claw.  
  
"Don't you dare even suggest--"  
  
"Oh my!" Smee held the captain back by his coat and pulled with all his might until a few of the seams tore. Jukes stood, stunned, and then slowly touched his bleeding cheek. The skin had been torn in a straight line, but the blood was running and beginning to soak into his shirt. Hook glowered at the man and blazed off in the direction from whence he came.  
  
Jukes untied the bandana from around his neck and pressed it to the wound, receiving some sympathetic words from Smee as they trailed pitiably after their livid captain.  
  
~*~  
  
When Kelly woke, Peter was there just like he promised. He beamed, almost as if to say "You're up; I missed you!" without really saying anything at all. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out how James could hate such an affectionate boy.  
  
"I'm almost dry," she announced. "I'm sure we can leave." Peter burst into flight and picked her up with the greatest of ease.  
  
"Do you want to see the redskins?" he asked. "They're a great bunch!"  
  
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Kelly exclaimed.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"They're Native Americans," she corrected, looking cross. "And I take offence to it because my grandfather was quarter Cherokee; I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but it is." Peter pursed his lips in thought and finally opened his mouth to speak.  
  
"What's a Cherokee?" he inquired, landing on the beach and setting her down safely. Kelly brushed her nightclothes off.  
  
"I can't believe we're having this discussion. Cherokee is one of the names of the Native American tribes," she clarified, but then something very strange occurred to her. "You've...always lived in Never Land...haven't you?"  
  
Peter shifted on his heels. "Is that a bad thing?" he murmured.  
  
"No," Kelly said. "Just...a little surprising." The two of them stared at one another for a moment, then blinked, and all was forgotten. Peter looped her arm in his with a silly smirk.  
  
"Come on, I'll take you to see them, Mother," he said, starting to walk. But Kelly tugged him backwards sharply and glared.  
  
"For god's sake, Peter, I am not your mother!" she cried. "I told you that earlier!"  
  
"But the Lost Boys believe that you are," Peter disagreed. He paused suddenly, and then took her hands in his. "I...believe that you are." Kelly tore from his grasp and took a few paces backwards. She couldn't be a mother; she just couldn't. She was just barely old enough to drive, and now some group of boys wanted to make her a responsible adult?  
  
"I won't have it," she said furiously, folding her arms across her chest. "If there's one thing I will never be forced to become, it's an adult."  
  
Peter was absolutely struck by this, and for the longest time he was silent. "An adult?" he finally whimpered. "We're not asking you to become an adult. We're just asking you to look over us a bit, and tell us stories, and care for us when we're ill. Oh, please, it would mean so much to me and the boys."  
  
Kelly started chewing a perfectly good nail. There was no rhyme of reason to Never Land, or to Peter, or to any of his words. She felt herself coming down with a headache. "Let me take a walk," she sighed. "I'll decide, and then I'll come and find you."  
  
"Sounds fair enough," concurred Peter. A grin twitched on Kelly's lips.  
  
"You're entirely too trusting of people," she said.  
  
"Is there a reason I shouldn't trust you?"  
  
She shrugged lackadaisically and began to walk away from him. "For all you know," she implied, "I could be with Hook." Peter gave a resounding "Ha!" and shook his head.  
  
"I don't think so," he assured. "You don't look the part."  
  
As Kelly wandered up the path from the beach, leaving Peter behind for the time being, she wondered if he was right.  
  
~*~  
  
Cecco, a tall young man with a shock of blonde hair, stood beside the door to his captain's private quarters. Hook had earlier locked himself in and ordered no one to enter, or even knock for that matter. The attitude on the ship was, to put it lightly, confused; Smee most of all.  
  
It didn't make any sense to him how the girl could have drowned with Pan so close. The boy was naïve, but certainly not stupid.  
  
"Mr. Smee," called Cecco in his Italian accent. "When do you think Captain will be about?"  
  
"I'm not entirely sure," the other replied. "He took a fine jolt this afternoon; might take a while."  
  
"Do you think he's all right in there?"  
  
The two men shared expressions of anxiety and promptly pressed their ears to the wooden door. Sounds of heavy footfalls could be heard from inside. Cecco eased up a little. "Pacing," said Smee. "He does it all the time."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You remember the girl we took a couple of days ago, don't you?"  
  
"Of course," said Cecco. "And then the Lost Boys got her."  
  
Smee nodded and continued. "Yes, well, she drowned in the Mermaid Lagoon. Tinkerbell showed us," he told, his sorrow apparent. Cecco frowned and snapped his fingers.  
  
"What shall we do?" he asked.  
  
"It's up to Captain."  
  
"Speaking of Captain," Cecco interrupted. "The footsteps are gone." Smee listened against the door, and then his eyebrows rose in alarm. Indeed, the room behind it was quiet as anything. "You don't suppose he's done something drastic, do you?" Cecco asked carefully.  
  
In the same instant, they beat the door open and rushed inside. Hook was gone, and the shutters of the window were untied. "He's run off," Smee said. "Well, doesn't that beat all?"  
  
~*~  
  
Kelly couldn't remember a time when she was more at peace with everything. The birds were chirping in the trees, the sun was shining, a breeze was blowing, and she was in the middle of it all. She twirled daintily, wishing again that she had kept the dress on. The moment would have been all too Snow White. Actually, she found herself comparing a lot of Never Land to Snow White, and she couldn't really tell why.  
  
Her stomach was doing flip-flops by the time she stumbled upon a berry bush. Kelly shoved as many into her mouth as possible and chewed until her jaw ached. She was smiling, however. The flavor was something of a strawberry, but not as sweet; not like it mattered, though, because she was too hungry to care.  
  
At last, she was full again and ready to head back to the Tree. Kelly figured she would attempt to care for the boys and Peter, just as long as they didn't treat her like a mother. She wished to be thought as more of an older sister. Perhaps Peter would understand that.  
  
The smell of thick smoke reached her nostrils. There must've been some sort of camp nearby. "Maybe I'm close to the Native Americans," she pondered aloud, a little surprised to hear her own voice amidst the trees. And then, without warning, the ground spun out from underneath of her and she came crashing to the forest floor.  
  
Kelly scrambled up on all fours and crawled in a random direction. Even when she closed her eyes, she was still disoriented. After colliding with a few trees, she was able to scuttle in a relatively straight line. Nausea struck hard and sent her staggering into something soft and warm. She didn't dare look to see what it was.  
  
Gentle arms engulfed and protected her. The urge to fall asleep and never wake up was settling in, but a deep voice rumbled, "Stay awake, little girl. We, the mighty warrior redskins, will cure you."  
  
"Well...I'll be...damned," Kelly slurred as she reeled into oblivion.  
  
~*~  
  
Coming in Chapter Four - The Indians aid Kelly, Peter gets worried, and Hook suspects murder.  
  
A/N: First of all, sorry for all the profanity. Secondly, this chapter, by far, was the hardest to write (and that's saying something because there's only three), but I swear I'll end up finishing this. I've got the plot all worked out in my head (somewhat), and I just need to put it all into words. It might end up being around eight to ten chapters...I'm not sure. In any case, the next installment should be neat to write, so it should be longer. Again, THANK YOU to all of my reviewers! You guys keep me going! 


	4. Minds of Their Own

~*~ The Ruritanian Isle ~*~  
  
- Chapter Four: Minds of Their Own -  
  
(Quick A/N: I'm not sure if this will happen, but lately all of my ellipses have been turning into singular periods. So, if this happens to occur, just remember that if there are any weird periods in certain places, there are really supposed to be three there. There's a heads up for y'all.)  
  
  
  
A shadowy figure crept along the bank. The pirate ship loomed threateningly in the backdrop. Twilight was descending, and the stars were hardly visible in the blue-gray sky. All seemed serene, but the ragged pants of the man continued to plague the silence. His breath came in strained gasps, but he was running nevertheless.  
  
Moments earlier, he had been swimming across the bay to the shore. The crocodile that at one point had tasted his flesh darted through the waves after him. He ended up clambering onto the beach and sprinting up a tree to finally be rid of the beast.  
  
So, now, Hook still ran. He had been thinking in his room for quite some time before hurling himself out the window to investigate. Why would Pan simply stand by and watch her drown? Why didn't he save her? Why didn't he watch her properly? The thoughts poisoned his mind until, at last, he stumbled across a disquieting conclusion.  
  
Pan murdered Kelly McClure. There was no other possible solution to the matter.  
  
Hook scuttled his way up a craggy hill and found himself mere tens of yards away from the Indian encampment. He held deep respect for the people, seeing that they knew what was happening on the island at all times. How they came to know, exactly, no one could ever figure out. Perhaps they might be so kind as to share with him the events that led up to Kelly's death.  
  
Oh, how he would love to bury his hook in Pan with good cause!  
  
As the sun disappeared completely, a silhouette of the pirate captain curled beside a rock to spend the night.  
  
~*~  
  
Peter Pan sat cross-legged on his bed and sighed heavily. Kelly wasn't back yet, and her absence was beginning to unnerve him severely. One of the Lost Boys, Tootles, had managed to stay awake and was keeping his leader company. Tootles was a humble child and usually made an excellent companion because he was so sincere.  
  
"Where do you think she is?" Peter mused absently. "She said she would come right back after taking a walk, and now she's been gone for a really long time."  
  
Tootles looked up at his friend boyishly and blinked his large eyes. "I'm sure she'll come home," he replied softly. There was a lengthy pause between them and the insects could be heard even from inside the Tree. The green-clad youth got to his feet and frowned disdainfully.  
  
"Something's wrong," he determined. "I have to go." Tootles' eyes grew and he jumped up alongside Peter.  
  
"Let me go, too."  
  
Peter glanced down at the little boy and placed a hand on his head. "No," he ordered gently. "There's bound to be danger where I'm headed. You'd best stay here and keep safe." The boy nodded sadly and watched as the other crossed to stand underneath a hole in the ceiling.  
  
"You promise you won't be gone long?" Tootles asked.  
  
"Yeah, sure," Peter replied, disappearing through the roof.  
  
~*~  
  
When Kelly finally got around to opening her eyes, the image of a dark-skinned young man hovered above her. The lines of his face were creased with worry, but his eyes seemed mild. "Do not sit up, little one," he said. Kelly's mouth was abnormally dry and she attempted to speak, but her throat yielded no sound. She paled considerably.  
  
The man straightened up to an imposing height and folded his arms in front of his chest. He was dressed in beige leather that was sewn all over with colored beads. A single feather protruded from his black hair at a foppish angle.  
  
"You were close to death," he continued, placing a hand on Kelly's forehead. "The Kill-Quick berries typically amount to the severity of their name." Kelly hardly heard him, however, for she was more concerned with the pitcher of water sitting on the dirt beside her bed. She reached a feeble hand towards it, and the man realized what she was after.  
  
He lifted the clay pitcher off the floor and held it to her awaiting lips. Kelly quaffed the cool liquid, only stopping when he pulled it away. She felt her vocal cords stretch and come alive once more. "Am I in the Native American camp?" she asked hoarsely. The other's eyebrows lifted in curiosity.  
  
"What do you mean.Native American?" he questioned.  
  
"Er.never mind," Kelly said. "Indian, I mean. Is this the Indian camp?"  
  
The man nodded. "Yes, and I am Cricket," he introduced. "I am not the one who found you, though. I believe that credit belongs to White Raven. He was hunting nearby. Our chief, Stone Feather, was very pleased." Kelly sat up a little and rubbed at her eyes.  
  
"Kelly McClure," she told him. "Nice to meet you. And.thanks for all of this."  
  
Cricket raised his hand politely to cease her from saying any more and replied, "It was the least we could do, seeing that you seem to be a good friend of Peter Pan's." Kelly's eyebrows rose and she wondered how on earth he would've known that. Of course, these people most likely knew everything about Never Land that there was to know. Perhaps she would greatly benefit from this chance meeting.  
  
Kelly took a quick glance towards the entrance of the tent and noticed that the beginnings of sunlight were peering through the flap that served as the door. "It's morning?" she asked softly, bringing a hand up to massage the bridge of her nose. "How long have I been out?"  
  
"Only for the night," Cricket answered. "Like I said, we were worried that you were going to die. And you're still not completely free from the poison."  
  
"What do you mean.?"  
  
"Poison doesn't just go away on its own," he explained. "You may start to experience more symptoms of it later on during the day. Luckily, you have no chance of dying since you've lived this long with the toxin inside of you."  
  
Kelly felt her head spin a little, but yawned to clear her mind. She was suddenly aware of the fact that she hadn't bathed in over two days. "I don't suppose there's a lake or something nearby where I could.well, clean up?" Cricket nodded.  
  
"Yes, and I could take you there if you wanted."  
  
"Just point me in the right direction and I'm good to go," Kelly said. It was then that she spotted her pajamas folded and placed on the floor across the wigwam. She rubbed her legs together and felt skin. A sense of dread settled in. "I'm naked, aren't I."  
  
"Oh, well, yes," Cricket told her.  
  
Kelly's face went red. "Why?" she inquired. "I thought I was just poisoned. I didn't need any sort of medical attention that required that I be naked, so why am I naked?" By the end of her sentence, her voice had gotten louder, and she quieted herself and took a deep breath.  
  
"You had a fever," Cricket clarified. "Close to dawn, it broke, and you soaked your clothes. Hawk Mother washed them and folded them for you." Kelly looked away and blinked back her embarrassment. Why did she always have to assume the worst about people.? She grinned and tossed her head from side to side.  
  
"I'm sorry, I just."  
  
"Don't apologize," he interrupted. "I understand. You probably want to get dressed. I'll.leave you to do that." He grabbed the clothes from across the tent and set them on the cot in Kelly's lap. She smiled in thanks and observed as he exited. The small ladybug on the front of the shirt gleamed and she traced an idle finger across its surface. Kelly pulled it over her head and then threw the thin blanket down by her toes.  
  
Once the pinstriped pajama pants were successfully on, she pushed herself up onto her feet and teetered towards the flap. The sudden sun pierced through Kelly's eyes and she squinted.  
  
The Native American campground was absolutely lovely. It was like stepping inside a history museum. Tents of all shapes and sizes were situated in a large circle around what appeared to be an extinguished bonfire. Kelly gasped in delight at the thought of seeing it lit up in the dark. A brave, much older than Cricket, approached her.  
  
"You survived," he commented dryly, placing a hand on Kelly's shoulder. The warm texture of his skin immediately gave him away as the man who had found her in the woods. She swallowed a little and met eyes with him.  
  
Cricket joined her and beamed proudly. "I did just like you told me to, brother," he said, and nudged Kelly. "This is my brother, White Raven." She could immediately see the resemblance between the two men. They both shared the same thick eyebrows and narrow eyes. But while Cricket's expression was soft and naïve, his brother's was bitter and it was obvious that he abandoned childhood long ago.  
  
"Yes, you have done well," he spoke. "Let me see her, and you tend to our guest. He seems to want information about a murder." Cricket's eyes blinked questioningly and he scuttled off towards a tent on the other side of the bonfire. Kelly watched him enter and suddenly cried in astonishment when she was able to make out the person sitting inside.  
  
She moved to follow Cricket, but White Raven held fast and refused to ease his grip. "What do you think you're doing?" she yelled harshly. "Let go, already!"  
  
"Who are you?" he inquired. "Why have you come here? The gods have told me that a-"  
  
"Are you insane? Get your hands off me!" she screamed, pushing away from him at last and running furiously towards the hut where Cricket had disappeared into. There, sitting cross-legged on a fur rug, was Captain James Hook. He didn't notice her at first, seeing that his back was to her.  
  
"Are you certain that your keenest braves have not seen anything suspicious?" he asked miserably. Cricket said no, and then looked over the pirate's shoulder at Kelly. When James followed the Indian's gaze, he grew speechless.  
  
Kelly exploded into a bright smile and she took a few excited steps forward. The captain rose slowly to his feet and appeared terrifyingly pale. "Quit staring at me like I'm dead," Kelly laughed. "I can't believe you're really here."  
  
James opened his mouth and began to say something, but shook his head when he failed to find the correct words. A long pause settled between them, until he at last replied, "But you are dead." Cricket drew back in alarm, while Kelly just chuckled oddly. "You're very dead," James continued. "I saw your body with Pan, and you weren't moving.and, and.and Tinkerbell told me that Pan had drowned you in the lagoon.I just."  
  
He covered his face with slender hands and took a deep breath. For the longest time, he just stood there. Cricket exited the tent, feeling that his presence there was awkward, and left the two to talk amongst themselves. Kelly advanced upon James, but started to feel faint and collapsed. His arms dove forward to catch her and she moaned gently.  
  
"Miss McClure!" he exclaimed. "Miss McClure, are you quite all right?"  
  
She let her eyes trail lazily up to his chest, and then his neck, and then his flashing pupils. Thick saliva was coating the inside of her mouth and making her feel ill. "I am," she mumbled. "It's just this poison.still in my system."  
  
"Poison? Pan poisoned you and left you to die?" he bellowed. "Is that what it was?"  
  
Kelly grunted and began to grow cold. "Of course not," she shivered. "I ate these berries and-" She pitched over in mid-sentence and vomited all over James' buckled boots. Her head lolled and then there were two of everything.  
  
.Darkness.  
  
~*~  
  
The nimble green-clad boy leapt hurriedly from branch to branch. Leaves whipped across his face and the fairies scattered from their resting places. Peter knew he had to find the girl before Hook did and took her back to his ship. He would have a harder time of rescuing her if that happened, since the captain would then be extra careful in his defenses.  
  
Finding a sturdy tree to perch on, he studied the nearby camp and wigwams. Kelly was there, all right, just like he suspected. He could feel her presence. Something seemed amiss, however. He decided to take a closer look, and he leapt from the tree with amazingly graceful ease. His footfalls in the camp alerted Cricket, who saw Peter and instantly greeted him.  
  
"Peter," he called. "Are you here for the girl?"  
  
"Is she here?"  
  
Cricket nodded happily. "Yes, but she may not be here for long. Captain Hook is here, too. I think he knows her."  
  
Peter kicked up dirt by his feet. "I'll see to this," he grunted, taking to the air. "Where are they?"  
  
"The meeting tent."  
  
"Thanks, Cricket."  
  
And with that, the boy flew through the teepees in search of his mother.  
  
~*~  
  
Captain Hook looked up with surprise as Peter Pan entered the tent. Kelly McClure, still half-unconscious in the captain's arms, moaned soundly. "Give her back," Peter declared. "She's my mother now, Hook. I won't let you take my mother."  
  
"Your mother?" Hook scoffed. "She's hardly old enough to be considered a woman, much less a mother. Besides, she was mine first. I'm taking her back to the ship where she belongs."  
  
Peter fumed and advanced on the darkheaded pirate. Hook raised his hand in defense.  
  
"You'd fight me with her in the vicinity?" he asked, glaring hard at his nemesis. "You wouldn't want your precious mother to be injured, would you?"  
  
"You're a sick man," Peter growled. "But you're right. We'll just have to make an agreement, that's all."  
  
At this point, Kelly was almost fully aware of the occurrences happening around her. She gripped Hook's coat and pulled herself into a sitting position. Peter watched her idly and tensed as Hook went to hold the girl close to his chest.  
  
"Keep your hand and claw off of her, you beast," the boy warned. "Don't you touch her."  
  
Kelly nuzzled her pale cheek against Hook in such a way that it forced bile to rise in Peter's throat. What on earth was she doing? Hook was the enemy! Couldn't she see that? Hook traced his spindly fingers down Kelly's neck possessively and then taunted Peter with a tough stare.  
  
"You see?" he said. "She obviously prefers me."  
  
"Nonsense," Peter replied. "She's delirious. She looks sick."  
  
"Which is exactly the reason I should take her back with me. Smee will be able to help her there. Don't you understand? She's been poisoned, and I have almost every right to believe that you did it." Hook stood and helped Kelly to her shaky feet. She trembled violently and clung to him in a moment of weakness.  
  
Peter was close to tears. How dare Hook make such an accusation! How dare he take away his new mother!  
  
"If you cared for her at all, you'd allow me to return to my ship and heal the poor child."  
  
Kelly blinked heavily and glanced around the room with a look of drugged stupor. "James," she said with a slur. "James, where are we.? I can hardly see."  
  
Peter's young heart ached for her misery.  
  
"Don't worry, Miss McClure. We'll be back on the ship in no time at all," Hook promised, throwing Peter another horrible glare. Peter grumbled and stood aside for Hook to pass.  
  
"She better recover," he threatened. "Or I'll slit your throat."  
  
"Peter?" Kelly gasped. "Is that you.?"  
  
Hook led her from the tent before Peter could say another word.  
  
~*~  
  
Kelly could feel James' racing heartbeat underneath her damp skin. He lifted her from the ground and proceeded the carry her like a baby. She could see his face, now, lined with anger and something else. Concern? Was that concern she saw in his eyes? A smile inched its way across her face.  
  
"Where are we going?" she whispered.  
  
"My ship," James answered simply, starting to run. The faster he could get the girl into Smee's care, the better. Kelly winced and wrapped her arms securely around the James' neck. Suddenly, darting out from the side of the trees, jogged Mr. Smee himself. However, the captain couldn't put the brakes on in time, and the two men collided. James landed with a resounded thud on top the squat pirate, and Kelly was squeezed in the middle like a sandwich.  
  
James crawled off of Smee and made sure his cargo hadn't suffered any injuries. "Smee," he roared. "Just what to do you think you're doing running around and smashing into people?"  
  
"I've been look for you, Captain," Smee replied. "You left, and I got worried. So, naturally, I took out a rowboat and decided to scout the island. I guess I found you."  
  
"Indeed," James growled. "You could've killed Miss McClure."  
  
Smee screamed in alarm and backed up on all fours. "She's not dead?" he squealed.  
  
"Of course not, you twit!" James cried. "Just look at her!"  
  
"She doesn't look too well, Captain. Why don't I take you two back to the ship and I can fix her?"  
  
"I had that in mind, as well," James said, scooping Kelly into his arms once more. "Let's go before the sun goes down again. I never know when it's supposed to do that around here."  
  
Smee led the captain and the girl to the ocean coast, where a rowboat waited for them. Within minutes, they were pulled on deck and James received a gruff welcome from his men. Bill Jukes, a long scab forming on his cheek, nodded curtly towards the man who had given him the terrible wound. James took Kelly to his bedchamber and allowed Smee to inspect her. "Well, Captain," the bo'sun announced. "I do believe she's been poisoned."  
  
James smacked his forehead. "I know that, I know that. What was she poisoned with?"  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
"Berries," Kelly interrupted. Smee and James flushed scarlet, for they had forgotten she was still cognizant. "Cricket said something about Kill- Quick berries and how I was lucky to have lived."  
  
"Kill-Quick," Smee exclaimed. "Of course! All she'll need is a bit of salty food, plenty of fresh water, and sleep. Since she hasn't died already, she should be fine." James sighed and relaxed somewhat.  
  
"I'm hungry," Kelly awkwardly complained. "I threw up the berries."  
  
"Oh, yes," Smee said. "I'll run and fetch you something, dear." With that, he gently patted her coffee-colored hair and left the room. James flopped down at the foot of the bed and groaned loud and long. It had been a long couple of days, and he didn't exactly get the best night's sleep the previous evening.  
  
Kelly couldn't help but chuckle at his display. "You'll sleep well tonight," she observed.  
  
"I probably won't sleep at all. I hardly do anymore."  
  
"Well, no wonder you're so grouchy most of the time," she laughed. "You really should think about what this lack of sleep is doing to your long- term health."  
  
James snorted and smirked over at her. "Who made you the doctor?" he inquired, an eyebrow raised in amusement. Kelly sat up a little and put her hands on her knees.  
  
"No one. My mother just happens to be a nurse and I read her medical books for entertainment."  
  
"Ouch," James cringed. "You're too young to do that. You'll become a hypochondriac."  
  
"My father's one already," she replied.  
  
"Oh."  
  
Smee entering the bedchamber with a bowl of stew luckily broke the awkward silence that followed. "Sorry that took for long," he apologized. Kelly accepted the meal graciously and began to ladle it hungrily into her awaiting mouth. James snickered at her appetite. When she was finished, Kelly handed the bowl back to Smee and thanked him.  
  
"And now I think Miss McClure should get some rest," James said. Smee agreed and once again left the room to let Kelly sleep. She shuffled in under the covers, closing her weary eyes. Much to her content, dreaming came easy.  
  
~*~  
  
During the middle of the night, Kelly woke to feel the air on her naked breasts and her pants pulled halfway down. In the immediate vicinity, she could hear intense breathing. "What the hell?" she mused aloud, covering herself with her bare arms. A yelp came from the perpetrator. Kelly, now in shock and rather angry, recognized the tenor as James. "James, what the fuck do you think you're doing?"  
  
"I was going to change you into your dress," he said innocently. She sat up and the candlelight played across James' wide-eyed face.  
  
"You're weird," Kelly droned, shaking her head. "Why couldn't I just put it on the morning or something? I mean, god damn! You nearly gave me a heart attack. Are you happy?"  
  
"Well, no."  
  
"Fine. If I put the dress on, can I go back to sleep? I'm sick, remember? I need sleep," Kelly ranted. "Ugh, I'm so pissed. I'm sorry. I'm not a real morning person. Can I just go back to bed?"  
  
James, sitting on the mattress, placed a sensuous finger on her lips. "Not quite yet," he whispered close to her ear. Kelly shivered and took a sharp breath. In the same moment, James covered her mouth with his. The relief of kissing her was almost too intense. It had been many, many years since his last physical interaction with a female.  
  
At first, Kelly was tempted to kick him away, but then she felt his talented only hand drifting luxuriously over her sensitive skin. There was no way she could've found the voice to reject him. As their lips parted, James moaned softly with sweet reluctance.  
  
"What on earth was that?" Kelly asked hesitantly, not bothering to cover her nakedness any longer.  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
"I think I liked it."  
  
"I think I did, too," James said hurriedly, throwing himself on top of her. He wasn't about to let this girl get away again.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Coming in Chapter Five - The morning after (oo-la-la), Peter faces a tough decision, Smee realizes something rather important, and Hook has some explaining to do.  
  
  
  
A/N: No, this story hasn't died yet! I've been inspired once more by the news that Return to Never Land comes out this Tuesday (Aug. 20) on DVD. Ironically enough, that's also the day I get back to school. Yikes! In any case, I thank everyone who has demanded that I write more chapters. Y'all will get your wish. I can't wait to write the 'morning after' scene. I didn't really intend for Miss McClure and Hook to get jiggy with it, but what can I say? These people write themselves, I swear! I kinda wonder how they 'did it' with Hook having that.well, hook. Hmm.I have a dirty mind. I'm gonna go wash my brain out with soap for thinking such a thing. Mind dropping me a review in the meantime? I crave your sweet, sweet lovin'! 


End file.
